Marin to hold first major job fair June 7

For the first time in recent memory, an all-Marin-area job fair is set for next month, with more than 70 employers lined up, and 20 more on a wait list.

The free event, running 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 7 at San Rafael’s B Street Community Center, 618 B St., was originally planned as a “boot camp” for the area homeless population, said Andrew Hening, San Rafael’s director of homeless outreach and planning. But the interest from the business community was so overwhelming, that organizers decided to open it up for the entire pool of job-seekers.

“We would have been happy with 30 employers, but the response was so massive that we had to cap it at 70 and put 20 on the wait list,” Hening said. “After we got such a huge response, we didn’t want to make it exclusively for people experiencing homelessness.”

San Rafael is coordinating the event with Marin County and CareerPoint Marin employment center, the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, Homeward Bound of Marin and the Downtown Streets Team.

Because of the high cost of housing in Marin and the gridlock-prone commutes into Marin from lower-cost areas such as the East Bay and Sonoma County, Marin employers are struggling with a glut of vacancies for a range of jobs — from entry level to management, said Emily Maloney, marketing and program manager for the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce.

The unemployment rate in Marin for March was at 2.3 percent, according to the state Employment Development Department — meaning there is a shortage of available labor.

“We really want this to be a super-welcoming event, where we really show the job candidates how much need there is for them,” Maloney said. “We’re really excited to be giving our businesses this opportunity — and encouraging people to come in that the businesses are really excited to meet them.”

Some of the companies already confirmed are: Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Target, Good Earth markets, Villa Marin, Accuchex, Nordstrom Rack, Sunny Hills Services, Marin General Hospital, Platt Construction, Mercedez-Benz of Marin and the city of San Rafael. Many more are listed on the event RSVP page.

San Rafael, for example, is hiring for police officers, firefighters and lifeguards, while retailers and restaurants are looking for cashiers and store managers, Hening said. Other jobs are in construction, health care, accounting, caregiving and painting, he said.

“I think when you get a really strong job market, there is a lot of competition for labor,” Hening said. “There is a high demand for labor here — because the economy is so strong, there aren’t a lot of workers.”

The initial idea to help the homeless population find jobs came after analyzing results from the Marin County homeless count in January 2017, Hening said.

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A poll taken during the count indicates that of 1,100 people experiencing homelessness in Marin, only 15 percent were employed. Of the people who reported being unemployed, however, only 23 percent were unable to work — with 40 percent looking for a job and the rest, or 32 percent, not actively looking.

Hening said helping those who are able to work get trained and prepared to find jobs could be a significant step in helping that community.

“Our hope is that people who get trained through our local programs will be put in a high level of readiness that our employers demand,” Hening said. Hening said a free class to prepare for the job fair will be held 1 to 3 p.m. May 31 at CareerPoint Marin, 120 N. Redwood Blvd., San Rafael. For more information, call 415-473-3000.

For more details on participating businesses in the job fair and to RSVP, go to Marin-Job-Fair.EventBrite.com. Hening said he is encouraging employers to post their specific job openings on the EventBrite page so that job-seekers can get a better idea of what’s available. A free lunch will be served to attendees in an adjoining room at the community center, along with some mini-boot-camp tables where job-seekers may speak to counselors for resume help or other tips.

“Goodie bags” will be given to those who RSVP. Walk-ins are also welcome.